Strong and enjoyable is the order of the day for this flavoursome bottle of red. Woof woof
This has been a bit of a turbulent couple of weeks: the good ship Port has recently sailed to new waters, finding itself a new office. We are also in the middle of a pitched battle with out print deadline. Stress is all around, and the days just aren’t long enough, which is why it’s always good to have a handy bottle of something kicking around. Feeling tired and wanting something to drink (as opposed to savour) I followed the tried and tested method of choosing something with the most interesting label, and this one had a dog on it. I’d like to get a dog, but with the living space that London provides, this is as close as I’m going to get for now, so this week, Longue-Dog red…
You may well be familiar with this wine and the vineyard behind it as they also make (amongst others), Chat en Ouef. They clearly love a good pun, and let’s face it, who doesn’t? The wine is made in the Languedoc region, hence the name, and is a Grenache and Syrah blend. What’s brilliant about the wine makers, Samantha and Eric, is that they are seeking to demystify and open up the world of wine drinking, something I’m all for. It’s very easy to get lost in the pomp and ceremony of wine when, really, it’s just a drink.
This wine is strong, clocking in at 14 percent. Given it’s a Languedoc, the fruity characteristics of the grapes really come through, predominantly blackberries, but there is an underpinning taste of subtle spice which gives a little more depth to this young ruby red. This is a wine for drinking, not for keeping, and given its price range, you will be pleasantly surprised. The wine perfectly echoes the ethos of the makers, a simple, perfectly drinkable and quite enjoyable bottle of red. I had this with leftover moussaka, and it would also go nicely with tomato and meat based pasta dishes – nothing too heavy. Good dog.
